


A healing home

by badgerBoyMay



Series: Reign of the resurrected dragon emperor [6]
Category: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: F/M, Healing, Home, Homecoming, Martin Septim Lives, Post-Oblivion Crisis, Priests, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:42:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28682004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badgerBoyMay/pseuds/badgerBoyMay
Summary: The group make a short trip to Kvatch and Ariana has an idea.
Relationships: Female Hero of Kvatch | Champion of Cyrodiil/Martin Septim, Hero of Kvatch | Champion of Cyrodiil/Martin Septim
Series: Reign of the resurrected dragon emperor [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057199
Kudos: 3





	A healing home

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: the characters and Universe are owned by bethesda and I don't make any money with this!!!!
> 
> thx.

When they prepared to leave for imperial city again, Ariana stopped.

The Blades looked at her and Baurus asked: "Is everything okay, Ari?"

The Altmer nodded, "I just- hey Baurus can we make a little extra stop before going back?"

Baurus raised a brow, "Where do you wanna go?", he wanted to know.

"Kvatch", Ariana said.

"Kvatch?", the Redguard replied.

The younger one nodded, "I know that Martin would like to pay a visit to it. See how they are doing. It's a few hours from here so what do you think?"

Baurus thought about it, "well, I suppose we could do that but grandmaster Jauffre said that we should come ba-"

Ariana cut him off, "Baurus please, it will make him happy."

The Redguard sighed, "Alright."

"Yeah!", she grinned in reply.

The Altmer woman had grabbed her stuff and went over to Martin, "We won't go straight back to the imperial city.", she told him.

"We will not?", he asked, confusion in his eyes.

Ariana nodded, "We will make a little trip first."

"Where are we going.", Martin asked.

His fiance smiled, "Just a bit more west. There's a city I'd like to visit. When it's not destroyed and overrun by daedra with a grumpy priest in the chapel."

Martin's face light up, "We're going to Kvatch?", he asked.

"Yes.", she squeezed his hand, "if you want."

The emperor nodded, "of course!"

A few minutes later they were on their way again. Riding west on the gold road. Martin seemed really excited to see what his old home town looked like now. The five of them climbed up the mountain and dismounted their horses. Ariana looked around. Too well she could remember the big orange glowing Oblivion gate in front of the city walls. But if you looked at the place nowadays, no sign of it could be seen. Martin also looked around.

"It's so strange.", he said.

"What do you mean, Sire?", Caroline asked.

"Well, there just in front of the city entrance was an Oblivion gate, the whole place was burned and destroyed. And just look at it now. Green, blooming, no signs of the crisis. In five years the place just..healed.", he said.

"He's right, tho." Ariana agreed.

"I wonder what the city looks like.", the former priest thought out loud.

"Let's find out!", Ariana grinned and took the lead. She approached the soldiers in front of the gate. "Hey there, we'd like to go into the city, would you open up the gate?"

"Of course, wait a second.", one of the soldiers smiled and opened it.

The group went inside and Martin could only smile brightly.

The chapel of Akatosh had been fully rebuilt, so were the houses around it. Here and there a small mound of stone or dirt was laying but all in all, the work seemed to be much done. They brought their horses to the next stable and walked around in the city.

The few people that survived the attack five years ago immediately recognized their old priest.

You could tell how happy Martin was right now.

On the street they saw Savlian Matius. Ariana immediately raised her arm and waved at him while walking over there.

"Savlian!", she grinned.

The guardsman smiled back at them, "If that isn't the Hero of Kvatch! How are you?", he asked her.

"I'm great. How are you? I see the rebuilding is nearly finished? The place looks great."

He nodded, "I'm fine. And yeah, everyone did their best to help with the work. Kvatch really got it's old glory back. But what business brings you here?", he wanted to know when the others joined the conversation.

Savlian looked at Martin. "OH! You're majesty! We're honored to have you visiting. I didn't know you'd come here-"

Martin just waved off, "Please Captain Matius, don't. I may be the current emperor of Tamriel but you got to know me as Martin and I'd like for you and the people of the city to stay with that. It's great to see Kvatch rebuilt. It will always be a home to me and if you need anything for the city please let me know so that I can help. Now or in the future.", Martin said.

Savlian nodded, "Thank you, that's very kind of you."

"Of course. It's for our city after all.", Martin smiled. Ariana took his hand and looked back to the guard, "So did you find a new count already?"

"No, sadly not. Count Goldwine didn't have any living hires. Why, are you interested, Ariana?", he asked. The Altmer laughed, "Sorry Savlian, I'll have my hands full with being  _ his _ wife.", she nodded towards Martin.

Savlian shrugged, "Hm, it's a shame. You would have made such a nice countess."

"What about yourself?", the woman asked.

"Me? Why me? No, I'm not a count, I'm a former guard."

"Well I'm a former priest" Martin said, "I can make you a count."

Matius looked kinda overwhelmed, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Well I think it is. The people of Kvatch like and respect you, Savlian. You'd be the perfect candidate for being the count of Kvatch." Ariana smiled.

"I agree.", the emperor nodded, "He always served the people of this city well, being a friendly and helpful guardsman. Also his role in the whole crisis."

"That's kind of you to say but I'd like to let the people of Kvatch choose their new count.", Savlian answered.

"That's a good idea, tho.", Ariana nodded. The former guard smiled, "We'll find a solution I'm sure. Please excuse me now, I need to speak to our chief architect."

They watched him go before Ariana looked at Martin. 

"I know that this is important to you so shall we go into the chapel?", the Altmer asked her fiance.

Martin nodded. The five of them walked over to the great building and entered. The chapel of Akatosh hadn't changed much on the inside. Martin smiled but it also had something bitter in it. Ariana stopped in the middle of the room with the blades while Martin walked straight to the shrine of the god he once had represented. The emperor kneeled down and spoke a simple prayer. All of it was so strangely familiar to Ariana. She felt like she was back six years ago. The night she stepped into that chapel for the first time and her life changed forever.

Martin had gotten up again in the meanwhile. He looked down into the bowl of holy water for a second that was standing on the shrine until he turned back and joined them again.

Martin noticed the look on Ariana's face.

"Are you alright, my love?", he asked her. Ariana nodded, "Yes, yes. It's just.. I dunno- it feels so familiar. Seeing you pray in that chapel- it just brings back a lot of memories.", she said.

"I see. If it helps, I feel the same way. I too feel a lot of memories. Good and bad ones. Thank you all for taking me here, it is really important.", Martin said.

The blades just gave him a smile, Ariana on the other hand kissed him on the cheek, "I'm glad you're happy."

"Will we stay in the city overnight?", Martin then asked. Baurus looked thoughtful about it. "On the one hand, I'm not sure if it's safe. On the other hand, I don't wanna head back in the dark. Yes let's stay until morning."

They went into the small inn and wanted to book a room but the innkeeper gave them a place to sleep for free. After all the emperor was their local hero _brother_ _Martin._ And the woman who was with him was their hero of Kvatch. Martin had insisted on paying but the inn lady just wouldn't take money from him.

So many faces he saw outside on the street were people he didn't know. Only a few of the citizens had survived the crisis, thanks to Martin and the Kvatch guards. Martin was even happier about the fact that they were alive and well and a few of them even opened up some shops.

When they were in bed that night, Ariana seemed to be in thoughts. "Septim for your thoughts?", Martin said. The Altmer woman looked up at him, "Oh, nothing important. I was just thinking about this city. I don't know how it looked before. Never have been to Kvatch until Jauffre told me to find you. Would you say it's as nice as before?"

Martin nodded, "in some ways even better I think. I'm just happy to see the church restored. Of course also the rest of the city as well but I feel closer to the chapel I guess.", he said and looked away, thoughtful.

"Well Martin, you  _ are  _ a priest. It's just basic logic that you feel drawn to the chapel."

The Imperial nodded again, "May be true, my love, but especially since the oblivion crisis I don't feel that much of a priest anymore. Don't get me wrong, I also don't feel like a man who could lead a whole empire. It's just.. well I told you at cloudruler that when I was a priest I told the people who asked me for advice that the gods will turn everything right. But how can I be a good priest when my own belief in the gods isn't as strong as it has been once. Akatosh's divine power has saved us from Mehrunes Dagon, that's a fact. But why couldn't he help us back in Kvatch? I prayed and prayed for him to help us but nothing. Until there was you. I don't know if Akatosh brought you to us or if it was cheer luck. But I think it was you all along who saved us. Not the gods, not fate,  _ you.  _ Without you, Nirn would have been doomed.", he said.

Ariana didn't know what to say so she simply said: "I'm not the most religious one, never really cared for any gods or spirits but I know that saving Nirn was a team effort. We wouldn't have won without you or the blades or the guardsmen that helped in Bruma and the several oblivion gates. I know that I wouldn't have made it in the imperial city without Baurus, without captain Burd in Bruma, without Savlian and the guards here in Kvatch, or without you that whole journey.", she took his hand into hers, "I'm glad for all these people.", she added.

The emperor smiled, "I can see."

They just enjoyed the silence for a while until Ariana asked: "Hey Martin?"

"Yes?", the former priest answered.

"I know we will have a very public, very big wedding but I'd like to also have that just for the two of us."

"May I ask what you mean?", he said. Ariana turned her head at him again, "Let's get married. Here in Kvatch. Here where everything started. Just you and me, maybe the blades, and a priest before the gods. Private. A wedding that  _ belongs to us _ .", she said. Martin gave her a loving smile.

"A wedding that's just ours? I like that thought. But I doubt that we'll find a priest of Mara in Kvatch in so less time.", he said.

"Why can't you marry us?"

"I'm not a priest of Mara, my dear, I'm a priest of Akatosh.", he said.

"Well yes but we'll have a wedding with a priest of Mara in the imperial city anyway so screw it. Let's just find any priest and get married. It's about us not them."

Martin chuckled, "okay, okay fine."

"Yeah?", she grinned a little.

"Yes, let's get married tomorrow."

The next morning, Ariana woke up early to make a few quick errands in the city while Martin told the blades about their little plan. Baurus had listened to it and couldn't say anything negative. After all he could understand both of them. He decided it wouldn't hurt to leave in the early afternoon.

Ariana put on her nicer tunic while Martin had changed into a plain shirt and some trousers. The Altmer had pinned her hair up, then joined Martin in the inn room again, "What do you say?", she asked, meaning her look. Martin turned to her, "you're perfect in every way."

"Be serious.", she chuckled.

"I  _ am  _ serious. You are beautiful.", Martin replied and kissed her softly.

"Can we get married then?", she asked.

"Yes, let's get married."

They went to the church where the current priest of kvatch would "marry" them. The Blades as well as Savlian were also present. Martin couldn't take his eyes off of Ariana. He couldn't believe that she would finally be his wife. Maybe it wasn't 100% legitimate just now but this was only about them.

Baurus watched them with a smile. The redguard felt genuine happiness for the emperor and his hero.

"Naww look how happy they are, Arius!", Caroline squeaked at Belisarius.

"I can see.", the other Blade smiled.

The priestess had just finished her little speech and the four observers could watch the couple kiss.

They applauded and gave them their congratulations and blessings. Ariana didn't let go of Martin's hand once.

They said their goodbyes after inviting Savlian to their "real" wedding and left Kvatch at about one o'clock pm.

They rode until it became dark and put up a little camp in the woods.

The blades wanted to stay awake so Ariana decided she could have some sleep that night. The Altmer sat down next to her husband and leaned her head on his shoulder. Martin looked at her with a smile, "are you that tired, love?"

She shook her head a little, "no it's fine, just enjoying your pillow like shoulder for a second."

That made him laugh. "Well, I hope my shoulder will be of good service then."

"The best.", she yawned.

"Not tired, huh?", he grinned

"Shut up", Ariana laughed.

The high elf noticed that she was for once, fully happy and relaxed. Martin had a power over her she couldn't describe. She was just happy to have him back. The rest would probably come when it was time. And with that they went to sleep in each other's arms, dreaming of their future.


End file.
